ALLEN PARK — It’s not just the yardage and statistics that are key for the Detroit Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford. It’s the whole package.

Entering his fifth season, Stafford at age 25 is a work in progress like any NFL quarterback. The differences from year to year are easily seen by his teammates and coaches.

“Not just from a physical standpoint, from a leadership standpoint. It went from him being a young guy trying to control the team, to him being now a vet that pretty much owns the team,’’ wide receiver Nate Burleson said. “This is his squad. I like to say it’s a dual partnership between Calvin (Johnson) and Matt. Both soft-spoken, but great leaders with their actions. Matt has become more verbal as he’s gotten older.’’

Stafford is comfortable in his skin, and without a doubt, a leader on and off the field.

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The Lions opened training camp on Friday. Until their first preseason game on Aug. 9 they will pretty much live and eat football. And then have another course — playbook a la mode — for dessert.

“That’s what training camp is our opportunity as a team to get away from it all and just come out here and play ball,’’ Stafford said. “It’s fun, just kind of getting started again, getting the guys back out here again, seeing everybody. I’m excited to be here.’’

Stafford’s numbers were good last year — he came up just shy of his second straight 5,000-yard season — but he ran short of weapons with wide receivers Burleson and Ryan Broyles missing good chunks of the season with injuries and Titus Young disrupting the offense until he was kicked to the sidelines.

Burleson and Broyles appeared 100 percent on Friday like they did in minicamp.

“It’s nice. Everybody looks healthy, everybody is feeling good, that’s a huge plus for us,’’ Stafford said. “Like you said last year we lost a lot of guys. I think we did a good job fighting through it, but it’s good to have the full complement.’’

Without question his teammates have seen him grow as a leader.

Newcomer Reggie Bush, who played with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, has been with Stafford in the offseason and now for a day in training camp and likes what he sees.

“I think Stafford is a really good quarterback. I think he has all the intangibles to be a Hall of Fame or Pro Bowl quarterback,’’ Bush said. “It’s just about putting in the work ethic, putting in the time and just improving. This game is based on improvement and winning so that’s something we have to do, not just him, we as a team have to help him. I think he’s a great quarterback and I look forward to playing with him. He’s definitely a leader.’’

Coach Jim Schwartz gets down to more specifics when it comes to Stafford.

“He obviously has command of our offense and I think the step he’s taken over the last couple years is having command over what opponent’s defenses want to do against us,’’ Schwartz said. “What we were doing in practice today was maybe different than what our offense would see on a normal game basis. He’s good at recognizing different ways that people play us — people don’t always play us the way they play other people.’’

The reason for that weighs mostly on the shoulder of No. 81 Calvin Johnson who is one of a kind. Defenses are created just to stop him.

“Each year I think (Stafford has) taken another step with leadership, he’s always been a mature guy for his age,’’ Schwartz said. “Off the field stuff — this year he spent the entire offseason in Detroit I think those things are all beneficial.’’

Where Stafford goes, this team goes. The quarterback is well aware of that which explains his dedication during the offseason.

Now the season is getting closer with the opener on Sept. 8 against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I’m just trying to do everything I can to be as prepared as I can for the first game,’’ Stafford said. “That’s taking this day by day and trying to make sure I’m doing everything right. When everything is right, keep trying harder to be that much more perfect. That’s my mindset — every play, every snap every rep, just trying to make sure I do the right thing.’’

(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter for live updates throughout training camp. Read her Lions Lowdown blog at oplions.blogspot.com.)